Against All Odds
by XxReaperxX707
Summary: A young Spartan by the name of Tom 707 try's to run away  after the death of his best friend and his mother,after  being injured by a fellow Spartan he finds himself whisked away to a new world were he meets a new friend. story better than summery
1. Chapter 1

**Me: Hey all! This is my first ever fanfic so be nice! I would like to thank Neromon for giving me support, so check out his .net/s/7598242/1/or on DA his name also being Neromon. Also, I would like to thank Orthodox for beta reading this for me.**

**Tom: I hope you don't make me look bad in this…**

**Me: For those who don't know, this is Tom. He's been bit self-conscious lately with the new fic, being about him and all.**

**Tom: I'm not being self-conscious, I just don't want you making me look like an idiot!**

**Me: Oh, calm down. You will love it! Trust me.**

**Tom: If I don't, just remember one thing. Don't run.**

**Me: Um, why is that?**

**Tom: You'll only die tired.**

**Me: *gasps* You wouldn't really shoot me! We're best friends!**

**Tom: That depends on how big of a fool you portray me as.**

**Me: *gulp* Um…ok, let's get on with the fic!**

**Tom: If this wasn't already apparent, my friend over here doesn't own Digimon, Halo, or any other trademarked items listed in this fic.**

**Me: Except, of course, I own Tom and all my original content and characters.**

**Tom: Ha! No one owns me!**

**Me: *rolls eyes* Ok, without further ado, I bring you Chapter 1 of Against All Odds!**

**Tom: Remember to review!**

**Symbol key:**

**In Japanese**

**: In Sanhilie**

**[ ]: a characters thought's**

**(): authors notes/ comments or information**

PROLOGUE

Long before the Flood entered the Milky Way galaxy, the universe was threatened by a great evil that had the ability to not only consume the universe we knew with chaos and strife, but universes of different planes as well. Many great races fought this power and fell. Even the great Precursors were no match for its evil powers.

With the fall of the Precursors, all seemed lost. That was, until a young race known as the Forunners stepped up to face this great evil. The Forunners was led by two great heroes; one, a great warrior that bore the crest of shadows and afterlife (later this warrior would be the father of the Forunner warrior class, and the Didacts helmet is modeled after the shadow hero himself), and a wise leader that bore the crest of light and life (mother of the builder class).

Together, these heroes represented harmony itself. They wielded immense powers, and some even say that they controlled the powers of shadows and light themselves. They sealed this great evil and all its followers in the void that existed between two planes. But they knew that one day, it would find a way to return.

In preparation, they created a new type of race, made of data and code, able to live in both a physical plane and digital plane. The hero of shadows placed his genes to be passed down to a young race he saw great potential in; humans. But his legacy was not to merely foster a new hero, but to create a new race all together, one that would bring true harmony to the cosmos. A perfect combination of data and DNA.

The hero of light had a portal constructed. A kind of bridge to another dimension. One that seemed to exist in a plane that was governed by data rather than atoms and molecules. This 'digital world' existed between the two sister universes; one young and full of life, the other with a long and bloody history of war and strife. This new world also acted as a buffer zone between all the galaxies and the great void where the evil ones were sealed away. In this new world, she planted the seeds of a new type of life and set the stage for the entrance of a new kind of life. Digimon, as they came to be called. Before departing, she set her special traits to be passed down to the first digital life forms, made from the 'nightmare code', a special data code she set dormant in the digital plane that would pave the way for the creation of the spices known as the Renamon.

The fate of the physical and digital plane seemed all but tied. With the innovations of the monster makers which truly brought Digimon to life, they turned from dormant fragments of code to the building blocks into what they envisioned; a new race of beings, made from data. Over time, evolution after evolution, they even gained the ability to cross the digital -physical barrier into the 'physical' plane.

But now the seal will be broken and the bridge will be crossed. A special young boy, alongside his partner, his new found best friend, will set out on an adventure to discover their true destiny, and will fight against all odds to save the universe from its impending doom.

….

AGAINST ALL ODDS

Story Arc 1: New friends, old legends

**Chapter 1: Close Calls**

Standing on a peak overlooking walls and fences of the ONI Research Facility outside Villa Nobel, stood a young human boy of fifteen. This boy's name was Thomas, and the row of dark barracks and buildings surrounded by fence topped with razor wire, was a place he once called home. Tom was no ordinary human boy however; he was a Spartan cadet, trained from the age of six how to fight, how to survive, and how to adapt to any situation. But all that didn't seem to matter now. Tom was considered a freak among freaks. He was never truly accepted by any of the others. He was different, besides being the only Spartan with a true name and mother, which was always a point of jealously.

As if that weren't enough, he never seemed to fit in with them, nor did he want to. Tom was his own person. Despite what those bastards at ONI said, he couldn't be told how to act, how to do something. No, he just couldn't live a life of blindly following orders anymore. One of the only people that he had been able to call friend was dead, killed right in front of his eyes. They died right there in his fucking arms. A tear started to form.

"She died for what?" he cried. "To try and gain intelligence on some hunch those fucking ONI spooks came up with! I'm only 15 years old, and I've already had to watch someone I called my sister die in my arms."

He sighed deeply. "Well I'm sorry, but I can't live their life anymore. So what if a war breaks out? I don't want any part in it! I don't need anyone!"

Tears formed in the pits of his eyes as all his memories of Devin flooded his mind. He remembered how his mother had taken care of him, and how she had died weeks before Devin. The boy then replaced the helmet on the set of modified ODST armor he had taken from the armory that seemed to be able to fit over his young body. He slung his sniper rifle across his back so it lay to the side of the large ruck sack he was carrying. It contained all the ammo, food, and supplies he would need for his long hike to the space port where he would hope to catch a freighter and vanish. So he start a new life somewhere out in one of the new settlements on the outer rim. He just wanted to be as far from this place as possible.

He looked up at the sky. "I'm sorry mom, but I can't live like this anymore. I'm sorry I couldn't live up to be the person they want me to be…"

He took one last look at the base, then turned and ran into the unknown wilderness of Orion, never looking back…

A few hours had passed, and the base had been put on red alert that one of the Spartan candidates had deserted the compound, and had also broken into the armory. Tom found himself evading patrols of his fellow Spartans with instructions to bring him back at all costs, and search lights from ships flying overhead. He knew if he were caught, his dreams of escaping this place would be just that. A dream. Tom was one of the stealthiest out of any in the program, as well as the best shot, which is why he was trained as a sniper. Tonight, he was lone wolf, something he was used to after Devin was killed, but none the less nerve racking, knowing now the whole base was out looking for him.

"God I wish Devin was here…" he muttered under his breath as he weaved silently through the trees, looking for a place to evade the patrols

He finally took shelter in an oddly formed cave inside of one of the rock faces that littered Orion's mountain ranges. There he sat in utter darkness as the sounds of ships passing over head, and the sound of troops moving through the dense woods echoed through the night.

As much as he would want to deny it, he was afraid. He couldn't go back to that hell. He never fit in there. He was mistreated by everyone. The only people that truly cared for him were gone, except Bartel, but he was the one that gave Tom the idea to run. He always knew Tom didn't belong here. His last words to him before he left for were, "Sol kal deit " which means "Let your heart guide you to your path", and "Marc dal fei", which means, "Good luck brother. I will always be with you in spirit."

[Thanks Bart, you were truly a brother to me. I will never forget you.] This calmed him down a bit, but Tom was still fearful of the other Spartans that were looking for him. He knew that they would want to cause him some harm, or just shoot him on sight for going AWOL.

Especially Zach. Zach hated Tom for everything. He was a free thinker, an innovator, and deep down a kind soul. This all made Zach despise him, and labeled him as a weak runt and that he didn't deserve to be a Spartan, or breathe for that matter

"Well then you got your wish Zach. I don't want this life. You take it," Tom said softly as he waited out the search patrols. He had walked deeper into the strange cave. Just in case any of the patrols looked inside the cave, he could hide in a branching chamber.

This cave was like a maze, but Tom made note of his direction to find his way out. He came across a chamber that seemed smaller than the rest and very well hidden behind a bunch of stalagmites. This particular chamber seemed to call to him, so he decided to hide there. But as he went deeper into the chamber, the cave walls began to give way gave way to a metal hallway that led to a room. Tom, feeling drawn to it, decided to enter the strange room .The room was a gray metallic color like the hallway. It was lit by lights built into the floor and ceiling, but it was a dim bluish-purple. It was completely empty except for a pedestal.

"What the hell is this place…?" he muttered under his breath as he slowly entered the long forgotten chamber.

On the pedestal lay what looked like the pendant his mother always wore and a strange little device. He picked up the pendant and began examining. It unlike his mother's, this one was made of a strange kind of metal. He put it around his neck and then he examined the device. It was about 12 cm long and 4 cm wide, and was only a few millimeters thick. It was made of the same kind of metal as the pendant. It had no on button, and the 2 cm wide area where its holo screen would be was blank. The only other features it had was the two straps that were used to attach to your wrist. He was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard a ship pass overhead, away from the cave. [I'll have time to dwell on it later. Now I need to get out of this cave. The search patrols must have moved on by now.] he concluded. But before he turned around, he heard a shot, and felt a sharp pain in his leg as a bullet ripped through the back of his thigh.

"Gah! Son of a bitch!" he yelled. Before he could bring his rifle to face his attacker, another shot ripped through his shoulder at the armor joint and passed right through him, like a knife through butter.

His shield was not active due to the fact he didn't think someone was going to be shooting at him. He fell to his good leg and turned to see who was attacking him.

"Well, well, Tom. Looks like you're getting sloppy. You didn't bother to try to cover your tracks." said Zach, a smug look on his face.

[Shit, I was so focused on getting away I didn't think they would be looking for me this hard!] he realized, cursing himself.

Zach grinned broadly. "You fucked up pretty bad this time, and now I'm going to make you pay with your life, you worthless piece of shit!" He brought his assault rifle towards his victim. Tom wished he could've had a chance to go were his heart told him, but now he was going to die here, and never get that chance.

Unknown to Tom, the pendant he wore almost seemed to respond to this thought of wanting to leave, and activated the ancient teleportation array that the room concealed behind its walls, waiting for the right person to stumble upon it. The pendant emitted a white light that blinded both of them, then he felt like he was being pulled backwards. He felt like he was falling into an endless void, when it all subsided and his vision returned. Opening his eyes, he was no longer in the cave, but in a forest. He thought it was Orion's forest, but he realized it was now day time, and the large evergreens and conifers that were indigenous to Orion were replaced by birch trees and dogwoods, or what looked like those kind of trees.

He was slumped agents one of the trees. His leg was in bad shape, and getting worse. He was losing a lot of blood. He quickly bandaged the wound to stop the bleeding. [No time to remove the bullet now…]he concluded.

He already had lost way too much blood and was feeling woozy. From the mixture of the loss of blood and the shock that began to set in from the wounds, the only reason he didn't pass out was probably due to the spike of adrenaline he received when a creature that Tom could only describe as a very large and very hungry looking spider appeared in front of him. It had begun to charge at him, and before he knew it, was right on top of him, jaws agape, just about to tear him in two.

Instantly, his survival instincts and training kicked in he swung his rifle's stock around with all his strength, and the rifle butt connected with the creatures head with an loud thud, diverting its assault .This, however, was shortly countered by a strong side swipe by one of the creature legs that sent him skidding ten feet across the ground, landing on his wounded shoulder. Pain shot through him like an electric shock. He was exhausted. He could barely stay awake any more. The shock from the blood loss was taking hold. He tried to fight it, tried to do anything, but his body refused to work, and his rifle was now some feet away from him. He could only lay there and wait for his end.

[Saved from a bullet, to just be eaten by a fucking spider!], he thought angrily. Just as his vision started to fade, he heard a female voice that echoed from somewhere above him. It sounded strong and confident in its annunciation, "Diamond Storm!" Suddenly, the giant arachnid was engulfed by what looked like crystals. Thousands of them! The spider seemed to just disintegrate into little particles. The next thing he saw was a tall yellow figure land near him, and then began to move toward him. All he could muster was, "What the hell…", and then everything faded to black.

It has been a year since Renamon had arrived in this forest after she had left her home village in Kitsune Valley. Over the past year, her day to day life had become the same routine. In the morning, she would train; practicing her fighting techniques and fighting styles, followed by a tree to tree dash to work on her balance and foot work, and to get some conditioning in before she would head to her treetop home to have a small lunch. After lunch, she would either collect more food for a few more days, or just take a walk in the forest for a bit; maybe even train a little more or take dip in the river to cool off and wash up . From time to time, she even got to battle some wild Digimon or two.

Sure, it got boring at times, but she was content with her current life. It beats the life she would have had if she had stayed in Kitsune Valley and stayed as everyone's favorite emotional punching bag.

Worst of all, if she stayed, she would be forced to be mated to that creep her father chose for her. He said it was the only way she would ever get stronger and have strong children. She didn't buy into that bullshit one bit. She could become plenty strong without that creep's 'help'.

Today, she had taken a new route on her morning dash. She had stopped on the top branch of a tall maple to rest a bit and see where she was, when a bright flash had caught her keen eyes.

"What could that be?" she asked herself. Curiosity soon got the best of her, and she leapt from her resting spot to go check it out. When she arrived at the scene near the tree she was in, she saw something she wasn't expecting.

There was a large lone Kodokugumon that was attacking a strange looking Digimon that seemed to be wounded. The unknown Digimon had tried to defend itself by hitting the Kodokugumon with a strange looking staff, but the Kodokugumon had knocked the Digimon across the forest floor.

The way things looked if she didn't do something that wounded Digimon would end up as that Kodokugumon's breakfast. She leaped from the tree she was in and unleashed her powerful Diamond Storm attack she had perfected a few months back. It made quick work of the little pest.

As it broke up into tiny bits of data she snorted. "Low level rookie. It's not even worth absorbing the data." She then moved to help the strange Digimon she had saved, thinking out loud while she was assessing the strange new creature's condition. "It looks like its still breathing, but it's unconscious… "

Then she noticed the crimson stained bandages that had been keeping it from bleeding out. "Damn! Look at those wounds! I can't just leave it here, it'll surely be killed."

So the yellow vixen decided to take the wounded stranger home so she could attend to its wounds, and hopefully get answers to what it's doing here and how it was wounded. Those injuries surely couldn't have come from the Kodokugumon. It didn't have any attacks that would cause holes like that. She picked up the unconscious Digimon, its pack, and it's strange looking staff. She began her long trek back home.

Her den was a tree house she had constructed high in the thick tree canopy. It wasn't much, but it was home. It had four walls and a floor that was made from logs, kind of like a log cabin, but it had no roof. Instead, the thick tree canopy that towered above them seemed to be enough to stop any rain or other elements from entering, and served as an entrance to her den.

On one side of the hut was a hammock made from woven natural rope like material she had made from vines. Opposite her hammock was a large round log with two smaller logs that acted as a table and stools. Close to that was a fireplace that was made from four flat stones. After setting her guest down on her table and placing his gear in the other corner of her hut next to her food baskets, she started a fire in the stone fireplace to provide some light. She then began to tend to her unconscious guest.

She soon had found he was in fact wearing a kind of armor, which she expected to be the case. The way this poor thing bled, there was no way could it be a machine type Digimon (with Digimon, you just never know what to expect), and after ten minutes, she figured out how to remove it so she could tend to his wounds better.

When she removed its helmet she saw it was a male, not too much younger than herself. The strange creature had thick golden brown fur that only covered his head, and smooth light colored skin.

She had now gotten him down to a tight black long sleeve shirt and black undergarments that stretched down to his ankles ( theses are special garments that make up what is called a thermal barrier that most ODST wore under their armor to help diffuse their body temperature to help them mask their thermal signature).

As she began to remove more, she saw he was completely furless and was covered with the same soft light skin. She chucked to herself. [You know, he is kind of cute for not having fur.], she thought.

She saw where the wound was on his shoulder, and noticed that somehow it started to heal already, which surprised her. Then she began to move down to check on his leg. A blush then ran under her fur as she had to remove his undergarment to get to the leg wound.

She had tried to avert her gaze from the boy's sensitive areas. She blushed a bit more as she used the now stripped undergarment to cover his loins so she wasn't constantly trying to avert her gaze. "He is definitely male, no doubt about that," she said with a nervous chuckle, trying to stop from blushing through her fur.

Then she began to work on his leg, which unlike his shoulder, was looking pretty bad. She began to rinse it out with some water she had found in a canteen he had on his pack, then, using some bandages she fashioned out of some strips of cloth, replaced the bloody ones he had on. [There, that should hold for now.] she thought.

She carried and placed him in her hammock and covered him with the blanket she would use on colder nights or as a ground matt when she ever left for more than a day, which was rare for her nowadays.

She wasn't too thrilled with the fact she had to now sleep on one of the overhanging branches that made up her "roof", but she couldn't let the boy sleep on the floor. Not with a leg wound like that.

She yawned softly. "When he wakes up, he can tell me where he got those wounds, and maybe what he was doing wandering around in these woods," she stated.

Tired from today's events, she leapt to the nearest branch that was above her now occupied hammock and settled down. "Well, it's nice to have a change every once in a while. It certainly made today more interesting." she concluded as she drifted off to sleep.

**ME: There will be more to come... hey, wait…where's Tom? *sees red dot on chest* Cripes, he meant it ! * Dives out of room *  
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**Tom: Hey, you'll never believe this! I found my old laser pointer! Man, I was looking all over for this thing…hey, wait, where did he go? Oh well, I guess I'll end it here. Remember leave a review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**ME: Well, here it is! Chapter two! I hope you all enjoyed chapter one.**

**Tom: I better not get shot or almost eaten in this one…**

**ME: Quit complaining, you're being taken care of by a vixen bombshell! What more could you want?**

**Tom: True…ok, I guess last chapter wasn't all bad. But no more giant spiders!**

**ME: Fine, no more spiders. Now hush up, I need to finish so we can start the chapter. I do not own Digimon, Halo, or any other trademarked or copy righted items in this story. I do own my characters and the story itself. Ok, with all the legal stuff out of the way, enjoy chapter two!**

**Symbol key:**

**In Japanese**

**: In Sanhilie**

**[ ]: a characters thought's**

**(): authors notes/ comments or information**

**Chapter 2 The Wounds You Can't See**

Tom was having the same recurring nightmare he had since Devin's death. It was cold. Snow blanketed the forest floor. The sounds of patrols approaching their position.

Tom was kneeling next to one of the only people that ever cared about him, trying to stop the blood that poured out from a wound in her abdomen.

"T-Tom," she said shakily, her breathing raspy. "Shh, Devin, you need to rest." he asserted.

"N-n-no, T-Tom, I'm-m …n-not g-going…to m-make…it."

"No! Don't talk like that! You're going to be ok. I'm getting you out of this."

With all strength she could muster, she pulled him down into the cold snow next to her as ships spotlights passed overhead. Her hand was still on his shoulder as she began to try to speak again.

"L-Listen to me," she gasped. "I-I need t-to say t-this T-Tom. You never deserved t-this. You're the kind o-of person t-that will d-do great things. Y-you need to g-go on-n you n-need t-to b-break free. I'm-m s-sorry, you n-never deserved t-th-this Tom. You're…."

With that her last breath left her lungs, and Tom saw the life that once filled her big green eyes leave, and just like a breath of exhaled air she was gone. Gone forever.

"Devin? No, no, no! Don't you dare!" he cried as a sob racked his body from head to toe. "Don't leave Devin…please…..D-Devin? Devin? No…no, no, no…no!" His eyes went wide with sheer horror as he said this. "God, no, please come back Devin!" Tears poured from his eyes, streaking his cheeks. "P-Please don't leave me...you were all I had left."

The snow and Toms tactical gloves were stained a bright red with her blood. He sat hugging her lifeless body, cradling her head in his arms and continued to sob, unable to stop.

"Why God? Why her…. she didn't deserve this…. b-bring her back! Please bring her back! Take me; leave her and ….t-take me please." Tears streaked down his face. He could feel the cold sting as his tears froze in the freezing weather.

Now Devin, the snow, and trees began to fade into a black void, where he sat and continued to cry. He felt alone. Helpless. Forgotten. He closed his eyes tight…

Then something happened. He felt like he was being carried by someone, someone soft and loving.

At that moment, he felt like everything was going to be ok. He felt safe, at ease, like all his problems just melted away. It was amazing.

With this new comforting feeling, he slipped into a deep sleep, calm and relaxed. This how he stayed for hours until it was all shattered by a loud familiar bang.

The young Renamon had woken up at her normal time. The sun was just cresting the horizon, casting rays of light through the treetops.

She leaped down and gracefully laded on the floor of her tree top den. She sighed when she saw her new guest was still out cold. She checked on his wounds. His shoulder, to her surprise, had healed almost completely.

His leg, however, was another story. The blood had stained the white cloth a deep crimson, and the wound showed no signs of healing.

She replaced the old strips of cloth with fresh ones. After she was satisfied with the bandage job, she went over to the side of her den that held the baskets of various fruit, nuts, and berries. She had become accustomed to eating naturally grown food since she arrived in the forest.

When she got over there however, her mind was turned from food as she saw the strange staff her guest used to hit the Kodokugumon. She observed it curiously.

[What a strange staff…how could something so flimsy looking help in a fight?] she wondered. She picked it up and held it like she saw the boy did in the clearing.

She ran her paw down its length it was mostly metal with an odd telescope on the top. She found the bolt and cocked it putting a round in the chamber [This is such a strange staff…]she thought. She gripped the rifle tight, not knowing she was also squeezing the trigger, and a loud bang emitted from the rifle. It bucked against her shoulder, and a burning smell lingered in the room, startling the unprepared vixen, who quickly put it down and examined the large caliber hole in her den's wall.

[Wow…that is a LOT of power. I guess there is more to that staff then meets the eye!].

The sound of the rifle ripped Tom from his slumber. He knew that sound all too well. He reared up and fell from the hammock, getting tangled up in the blanket. Rena suppressed a chuckle as she watched the boy trying to untangle himself.

"Calm down, you're safe now." she assured, still trying to suppress a giggle.

"What the hell happened!" Tom exclaimed, still trying to get his bearings.

"You were attacked by a Kodokugumon. I saved you and brought you back to my home to attend your wounds. You were in pretty bad shape."

" Y-y-yes, thank you. I thought I was done for," was all he could say as he remembered the events of the day before.

He now got a good look at the person that saved his six. Judging from the defined curves and voice, he could tell she was female. He had never seen species like her before. She was about 182 cm tall (6 feet), she looked of vulpine origin, with thick yellow fur that covered most her body. Her lower legs, paws, and belly were covered with white fur. Her chest and most of her bust was covered with a thick, snow-white mane, except for the lower part, which gave her a clear female appearance. Her head was triangle shaped, with a set of pointy white tipped fox ears, and a set of emerald green eyes that seemed to float in a sea of blackness, under which were w-shaped marks. She had no clothing whatsoever, except for two long blue gantlets that came up a little past her elbows. They exhibited yin-yang symbols by her 3-fingered paws, as well as another symbol he couldn't recognize.

Overall, she was quite beautiful for someone who wasn't human. She came over and helped him to one of the log stools.

Tom felt a shot of pain shoot up from his leg when he stood on it. The Renamon saw him cringe. "It hurts that bad?" she asked worriedly

Tom, being a bit irate from the pain, answered a bit sarcastically, "No, it's not like someone shot me or anything!"

Rena gazed at the ground sadly. Tom realized he was being a jerk and quickly apologized.

"I'm sorry, I've just been through a lot in the past few days," he explained. "Thank you for helping me. My name's Tom."

Rena looked back up to him with her emerald eyes, a grin on her face. "Nice to meet you! And it's no problem. I couldn't just let you get eaten by that Kodokugumon. You were wounded pretty badly."

Tom looked down at his leg. If she hadn't stepped in, he would definitely be spider chow. She did a good job dressing the wound, but it still needed some work.

"You did a good job with my leg, but I still have to do one more thing so it can heal properly. Can you hand me the pouch in the front most pocket of my pack?"

She quickly retrieved the white and red pouch and handed it to him. She sat across from him, watching intently as he took out a long pair of little metal tongs and a red can with the words 'BIO AGENT' on it.

"Can I help with anything else?" she asked, looking at the objects quizzically.

He looked up. "Yeah, I need you to keep pressure on the wound while I remove the bullet." She nodded and pressed down with both paws while Tom took the tongs and inserted them into the wound. Blood began to pour out.

"Ah, god damn!" He heard a clink and pulled the tongs out, a blood stained lump of lead held in its grasp. "Got it! Quick, take that red can, insert the end into the wound, and press the lever down." He put the tongs down and took her place in keeping pressure on the wound.

She did as she was instructed. When she did, white foam like substance filled the wound, sealing it up and stopping the bleeding. It also numbed the area somewhat, relieving Tom of much pain.

"Wow! What is that stuff?" she asked while looking at the can with amazement.

After letting out a sigh of relief, he answered her. "It's called Bio Foam, it seals, disinfects, and numbs the wound," he said as he picked up the bullet he removed.

"That's amazing I never seen anything like it " she said while putting the can down.

Tom wasn't paying attention anymore he was looking at the bullet he removed and was lost in thought. [9 mm, FMJ, probably from his pistol. I'm lucky he doesn't use .45 or a hollow point. That would've shredded my femoral artery,] he imagined, tossing the bullet aside, shuttering at the thought. He began to wrap his leg up to protect the wound, so the bio foam could do its job.

He limped over to his pack and proceeded to pull out a pair of black ACU pants. Slipping them over the ripped pair of thermal pants, he then began to try to assess his situation as he sat back down on the log stool.

The blue clad Renamon was so full of questions about her new guest. "So, Tommon, what level are you? Training or rookie?"

Tom turned his attention away from his pack and back to his yellow host. "I don't know what you mean by training or rookie, but if you mean level as in rank, I'm a corporal," he replied, confused.

"I have never seen a Digimon like you before, nor I have I heard of the Tommon before…" she pondered.

Her statement confused Tom. [Digimon? The Tommon? What is she talking about?] "No, Tom is my name, not my species. It's just Tom. And I'm not a Digimon."

The yellow vixen cocked her head in a quizzical manner. [Not his species? Not a Digimon? ]

Tom saw her confusion and tried to clarify. "Take you, for example. What is your people called as a whole, your species name?"

" I'm a Renamon," she replied, still trying to see where he was going with this.

" Ok, and what do people call you as an individual?"

" Renamon," she stated simply.

Tom was getting a bit frustrated, but kept a calm, even tone, and tried to explain it better. "No, that's your species name. I'm a human. That's my species name, but my individual name is Tom." She nodded, seeming to understand.

" I see. Digimon don't usually have individual names," she explained Some other Digimon races give individual names, but with my people, only Digimon with status have unique names, or those who had it given to them. Normally, we are differentiated by a physical or personality trait."

" Wow, that's really different from where I'm from," he acknowledged. [I thought it was confusing with Spartans with similar fist names,] he assumed. "Would you mind if I gave you a name, for the sake of avoiding confusion?"

"Not at all! In fact, where I'm from, new friends usually would give one another a name to call each other by if they already didn't have one. What would you have in mind to call me?" She smiled sweetly.

Tom thought and it struck him. Rena. It wasn't that big of a change, but it was a shortening of "renard", which is French for fox. It seemed to fit.

"Well, how about I call you Rena. It's basically just a shortening of your species name, but I like the way it sounds. Also, where I'm from, it actually comes from a word that means fox."

"I love it!" she smiled "So Rena it is."

Her eyes suddenly grew wide. "So Tom, you're a human."

He looked at her strangely. "Yep last time I checked," he confirmed.

"Wow! I've heard stories of your kind and your world!"

Tom gave her a surprised look. "That's strange. I haven't heard of Digimon or Renamon before."

She shared the same expression. "Really? That's weird…I would think you would've at least of heard of Digimon before," she wondered

"Not at all. Tell me about your race. I'm fascinated from what I've heard so far! It's pretty interesting."

For the next few hours, Rena explained all about Digimon, and what she knew of the Digital World. Tom was surprised to hear he was in another plane of existence. She also told him of the stories she heard about humans, and how some Digimon would go to the real world to get stronger. She told him about the events of the dreaded D- Reaper attacks that occurred a few years back. To her surprise, he had no idea about that whatsoever. She would think the whole human race would have known if it was on the verge of destruction.

"Attacked? That's impossible! I've never seen or heard of a D-Reaper before. The last time any kind of conflict occurred on Earth was the Covenant attack on New Mambas 80 years ago!"

"I don't know, but that's just what I've been told. I don't know much else about humans, other than that I have never even seen a human before. Until I met you," she said, shrugging her shoulders.

"May I ask how you got here if you've never heard of Digimon or the digital world before?"

Tom leaned against the wood wall and let out a deep sigh, trying to process all that he had just been told, and what has occurred over the past twenty-four hours. Or, what he thought was twenty-four hours. "Honestly, I don't know exactly, but I guess I should start from the beginning."

Tom explained that he had run away from a military program called the Spartan project, and how he had found the cave and the strange device and pendant. How he was wounded by Zach, then the next thing he knew, he was in the middle of the woods, and was being attacked by a giant spider.

Rena hung on every word, and when he was done, she was just full of questions. She wanted to know more about this project that he ran from, but she was more interested in the items he found. "Do you still have them?"

"The items? Yes, I do right here." He produced the strange pendant and device.

Rena took the pendant and turned it over in her paw. It was made of an odd black metal. On the front was a symbol that looked like a sickle, and on the back was an odd yin yang looking symbol, except the tails of the yin and yang didn't touch. Instead, it formed a kind of vortex shape, one side being black, and the other white. Strange symbols ran the backs circumference.

" I don't know about the symbols on the back, but the one on the front I do know. My mother had a pendant with the same crest. It is an ancient symbol that means 'after life or shadows'. It was also said to be the crest of a great ancient warrior. It was her families crest."

Rena put it down on the large round log that was serving as her table " May I see the device?" she asked politely.

"Sure, knock yourself out. The stupid thing won't turn on any how," he said frustratingly.

Tom was about to hand it to her, but as soon as Rena's paw touched it, the device emitted a bright light, and they both felt a shock radiate through their bodies. They both dropped it, and it landed on the table. The holographic screen sprang to life, and odd symbols scrolled across. It emitted a light that seemed to scan both him and Rena. The symbols changed to English and a female mechanical voice sounded from it.

" Genetic memory, genome and data scan complete," it stated.

"DNA and data match legacy requirements. Genetic Gaies detected and authenticated."

"Confirmed tamer- Thomas Walls and partner- Rena."

"Genetic bond match. Partner and tamer confirmed."

The device had now produced 3D side by side of Tom's DNA and Rena's data code, which then dispersed and the device fell silent. Tom felt strange, like ice cold water was injected into his brain. It didn't hurt, but he felt weird. From the look on Rena's face, it seemed she had been feeling the same way.

Her eyes went wide when she realized what must have just happened, and how special this boy was. The words tamer, partner. She had heard about them. How some Digimon were paired with humans called tamers, but one thought could only cross her mind, and for some reason it brought her joy. [I have a partner!]

Tom stood there, stunned. "What the hell just happened? What did it mean, genetic match, and how did it know my name?" he exclaimed

Rena seemed to have answers. "I'm not completely sure what it meant by genetic match, or how it knew our names, but I think that thing is a Digivice, and you and I are now bonded as partners!" she replied happily.

"Digivice? Partners? What the hell does that all mean?" he asked.

" Well, I only know that some Digimon become bonded as partners with a human, and it's supposed to make them stronger as a team through the use of a Digivice. I don't know much else, but I might know someone who could shed some light on our situation. There's an old family friend. He is a Digi-historian, and knows practically everything about the Digital World, and is knowledgeable in the human world as well."

"Great! When can we see him?" he enquired. Tom tried to get up, to only be forced to sit by the paint that shot through his leg.

"He lives in a place called the Forgotten Valley. It's a two-day hike from here, but by the looks of it, you're in no condition to be traveling. We'll embark when your leg is better. Until then, I would be more than happy to share my home with you. We are partners, after all," she said with a smile.

Tom sat back against the wooden wall, trying to process all that has happened [A day ago, I was running away from the Spartan program. I was going to trek to Orion's space dock, where I would stow away on a freight ship and disappear. Now I've been transported to some wacky place called the Digital World. I've been shot, then attacked by a giant spider, and met a fox girl who is now telling me we're some kind of partners after some device went haywire. This is crazy…I must be going nuts. ] The more he thought about it, however, the more he though about how Rena saved his ass, and how rare it was for someone to treat him so nicely. Plus, there was just something about her he liked. He was beginning to like the idea of staying with the fox girl more and more. A thought crossed his mind. [Is this what it's like to have a true friend?]

"Well, it seems I don't really have a choice, do I?" he chuckled a bit.

A sweet smile crossed her muzzle when he said this. With that smile, it made Tom feel something he hadn't felt in years. He felt true connection with someone other than Devin or Bart.

Rena was going through the same thing. Trying to process all that has happened. How this strange person just showed up out of nowhere, and how she had taken care of him. But all this aside, for some reason, she felt great joy at the fact that he was her partner. This was odd. She had never met this boy before, but for some reason, the thought of her being partners with him gave her joy. It all just felt right…

**ME: Well, that was an interesting chapter, wasn't it?**

**TOM: Ok, first things first. Rena, we're going to go over some basics on gun safety and operation.**

**RENA: He-he… ^^' Sorry about that…I didn't know what it was for!**

**TOM: It's fine. Just don't wake me up like that again...ever…**

**ME: Ok, you two can finish this later. We gotta end this fic. Well, please leave a comment or review! All are welcome, they all help!**


	3. Chapter 3

**ME: Well, here it is! Chapter 3, hot off the press.**

**Tom: Hot off the press? What is this, a fucking newspaper now?**

**Me: Why do you always have to be so negative…?**

**Tom: Hey, I'm actually beginning to like this story, and Rena's really cute.**

**Rena: Aw, thanks Tom!**

**Me: Ok, focus you two. We got a fic to do!**

**Rena and Tom: Sorry.**

**ME: Ok Rena, would you do the honors?**

**Rena: Gladly. Enjoy chapter three, and remember to leave a comment!**

**CHAPTER 3Ghosts of my Past**

Tom's leg was healing rapidly in just less than two weeks. It had almost completely healed. During those two weeks, Tom and Rena had started to bond.

Having Tom around was certainly a pleasant change in pace for Rena. She really didn't have anyone to talk to in such a long time. She also used this opportunity to try to get to know Tom better. For some odd reason, she felt a kind of connection with him.

It was strange. She felt like she could just be open with him, that she could completely be herself around him. It was very odd being that they only just met, and she already felt like they were becoming close friends.

Tom felt the same way. He felt like he could trust Rena with anything. This was especially odd for him. He didn't trust many people, but Rena was different. He felt like he knew her all his life, but in reality they just met.

Over the past two weeks the two shared many stories from each other's pasts. Rena even told Tom of how she had run away from her home village in Kitsune Valley. Running away from the creep her father wanted her to be with, and how she had been living out here ever since.

After listening to Rena's stories, Tom would tell stories of his friends Bartel and Devin, and even a little bit about his mother.

He told her about all the antics they used to get themselves involved in back on Orion. When he wasn't training, he was exploring the woods that surrounded the base, or laying on the large parade grounds on hot summer nights. Just looking at the stars, those two were like family to him.

Rena chuckled at some of the stories, especially the one were Devin figured out the code to the armory. They booby trapped the door to Zach's locker to set off a flash bomb when he went to retrieve his gear. Though someone called Captain Martinez, and he gave them a hard thrashing.

As she kept listening to his stories about his friends, it eventually made her wonder why he would run away from them. If they meant that much to him, and what this Spartan program truly was, he wouldn't go into detail on it at all. All she knew of it was it was a military program, and he did a lot of training. She was curious as to why he wouldn't tell her more. He obviously trusted her with other personal information; why not tell her about it? It wasn't until the day before they departed for her friend's home that she decided to ask him

Tom was taking a last mental inventory of what he had before they left the next morning. He had originally packed for a week long hike to Orion space port, so he had plenty of supplies [A week's worth of MRE's, check. 64 rounds AP for my primary, check. 200 rounds for my pistol, check. Energy swords, check. Suppressors, check. Change of clothes, check. Water, check. Sleeping roll and sleeping bag, check and check. Fire starters, check. Four fragmentation grenades, check. 5 flash bang grenades, check. Ok, that's everything! (the woods of Orion can be a dangerous place)].

Rena watched her new friend as he silently started to repack all his supplies into his large pack. She sighed to herself. [It's now or never], she thought.

"Hey Tom?" she asked nervously.

Tom looked up from his pack with a smile "Yeah Rena, what's up?" He had a soft look in his bright, blue eyes that over the past two weeks she grew quite fond of.

"Umm can I ask you something personal?" she stammered.

"Sure what it is?"

"When we first met, you told me that you ran away from some program. What exactly was the program for?" Rena saw the softness in his eyes leave to be replaced by a sorrowful and pained look. He gazed toward the ground. She felt terrible. This subject was obviously something that he didn't want to discuss…

"I-I'm sorry. Forget I asked," she apologized, trying to change the subject.

"No- no, it's fine! I guess if we're going to be traveling together, you should know exactly what I am." Tom let out a deep sigh as he prepared himself to relive the hard memories of his childhood.

"I was a part of a military project called Project Spartan IV. In a nutshell, the program was set up to create a generation of super soldiers called Spartans".

He paused to catch the surprised expression Rena's face. Normally, he didn't care telling non-Spartans what he was. He didn't care what they thought of him. This time it was different. He didn't want her thinking he was some augmented super freak as most people outside the program tended to think of Spartans. This time, he actually cared what someone thought of him, and he didn't know why. He let out another deep sigh and continued.

"Most Spartans were born from donor genetic material that went through genetic modification to make the genes as close to perfect as possible, adding in the ideal mix of traits as well as modifying certain genes to create the perfect human."

"But your mother, how…" Rena began to say but was cut off.

"I was born different. My mother was the head of the project and used her own genetics to have me 'naturally'." He paused for a second as if he were going over what he just said.

He noticed the disgusted look on Rena's muzzle. She was angry about his mother's decision to put her child though something like that.

"How could a mother use her own son in some twisted project? Her own flesh and blood!" she yelled.

Tom had almost instantaneously started to defend his late mom. "She wasn't a bad mom; she loved me a lot and always cared deeply for me. She had her reasons for keeping me in the program. I know it always hurt her to see what I went through…"

He paused again and looking as if trying to remember a nightmare he long tried to forget. After a deep breath he continued. "When we turned six, we went through an augmentation process, making us stronger, faster, and smarter. Some didn't survive the processes, and others body's rejected the augments and died or were crippled. I was one of the lucky seven hundred and seven to survive the augmentation process." Tom stopped as he tried to bury the nightmares he endured during the augmentation process once again.

"From there we were trained to fight, to shoot, and to adapt to any situation…to survive…but all that didn't matter. It didn't matter how good a shot or how stealthy or adaptive I was, I just didn't fit in. I wasn't like the others…I was different. I knew it and so did they."

"What made you so different from the others?" she questioned. Rena saw this was hard for him to share. It was like watching someone try to relive a nightmare. She didn't want to hurt him, but there was no stopping now. She wanted to know everything about her new friend the good and bad.

"I never was accepted by the others. I was the freak to the others. The runt, the outcast. Devin…" he stopped at the mention of his friend's name, trying to keep his emotions buried. He felt tears well up behind his eyes. He fought hard to keep them from showing.

"Devin was one of the only people that ever accepted me for being different…. her and my mother…."

Rena was truly curious despite the horrible things the program did. How could he just leave his close friends behind in that hell?

"Even as bad as it was, why did you leave them behind? If they meant so much to you, why not try to bring them with you?" she asked curiously.

Rena saw Tom had been trying to fight back tears. His blue eyes were glistening while he desperately tried to hide his sadness.

"Because they're gone! Her and my mother! Both dead! Gone forever! Even Bart couldn't stay with me anymore! Everything I had held close was gone forever…"

Tom had lost his battle with his emotions. All of his pent up feelings had started to flow out, like water from a broken dam.

Then he started to cry. Something he hadn't done in front of anyone, even his own mother. Something he only did when he was alone, never to let anyone see him, but that didn't matter anymore.

"Now I have no one …" he cried, tears streaming down his face, letting out soft sobs. "I couldn't stay in that place any more. I had to take care of myself. I had to run …" His voice was now shaking with grief as his sobs became louder "And now you probably think I'm some kind of freak killing machine…"

Rena now looked at the sobbing boy and couldn't help but feel saddened. She had been living on her own for over a year now, but she did this by choice, and she knew she still had her mother and her family. She even had her father to go back to if things all went wrong. Despite her current feelings for them, they were still alive and there for her. Especially her mother.

Tom was truly alone. She felt sorrow, but it was strange. She didn't just feel sad for him, from what he went through she felt sad because he was sad. It hurt her to see him like this.

[I must truly care for him if I feel this sad. To see him cry like this…I guess we really have become quite close these past weeks,] she thought to herself.

What she did next surprised even her a bit, but it just felt like the right thing to do. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a tight hug. Tom had almost instantly stopped crying. He was a bit shocked by the sudden show of affection, but the surprise didn't last. It felt good to be hugged. Her fur was so soft, and she was so warm. He felt safe, like nothing bad could ever happen. In that moment in time, his troubles seemed to melt away .Tom soon returned the hug, placing his head on her shoulder, and he could feel her soft mane against his face.

What Rena said next as she hugged him stunned Tom even more. "Tom, you're not alone. You have me. We are two of a kind. I've only known you for a few weeks, and I already feel so close to you. I'm never going to abandon you. I swear."

Tom had broken the embrace. He wiped away the tears that stained his face. His sadness and pain were replaced by overwhelming feelings he hadn't felt before, ones he couldn't describe. He felt the connection with her too, like this friendship was meant to be.

"Thank you Rena…you're a true friend, and I'm never going to leave your side!" Rena smiled down at him as he gave her a tight squeeze.

Right there, Rena vowed to herself, [I'm never going to let anyone harm you Tom! You are my one, true friend! ].

The rest of the night was very peaceful. When they had turned in for the evening, each felt like they had found a long lost part of themselves. But unknown to either of them, that the bond they shared goes beyond just friendship, and that indeed forces set in motion long ago had brought these two together…

**ME: Well, there you have it! Chapter three. What you all think?**

**Tom: *sob * *sob***

**ME: Are you crying?**

**Tom: *sob* … no...*sob* but I could use another hug.**

**Me: Um, ok.**

**Tom: NO, not from you! From Rena!**

**Rena: Gladly*hugs Tom***

**ME: Oh boy…ok, keep your eyes out for chapter 4! There is going to be a surprise twist. Ok, until next time!**

**Rena: And if you leave a review, I will give you a hug too!**


	4. Chapter 4

**ME: after delay after delay I finally managed to finish editing and touching up chapter 4**

**Tom: it's about freaking time I want to see what happens to me next.**

**Rena: me as well**

**Me: umm well the thing is you two actually aren't in this chapter*closes eyes and scratches back of head *he-he-he**

**Rena and Tom: WHAT! Than who is?**

**ME: you will just have to read and find out**

**Tom: I hate this chapter already**

**Rena: now I'm curious**

**Me: well any way enjoy the chapter and don't forget to leave a review / comment**

**(warning this chapter contains a mini lemon when you see *lemon start* that's where the lemon will start .The mini lemon has no real elements that are important to the overall story plot so in short if you wish to skip over it you won't be missing anything important ,in any case enjoy the chapter. )**

Chapter 4**: familiar faces**

It was a cool clear night over the quiet streets Shinjuku Ward not a cloud in the sky and the stares dotted the heavens. It was truly a beautiful night.

A familiar purple gauntleted vixen was spread out on the top off the wall that surrounded her home.

It has been five and a half years since the D-reaper attacks and Rika and her notorious purple clad Renamon were reunited. Life after the D-reaper had come to a state of almost normalcy.

Rogue digimon still managed to find their way to Earth , but not all digimon that bio emerged had hostile intents, some digimon came to earth to seek partners or just simply get away from the digital world .

Aside from the occasional fighting or helping a lost digimon find their new partner, Renamon Nonaka (Renamon was officially adopted by Rika's family soon after they were reunited with a little help from Yamaki ) liked how relaxed her new life with her partner/sister and her friends was .

She got her fair share of battles all while being able to live a relatively peaceful life with her adopted family.

To her this was home now, and she had no desire to return to Kitsune Valley in the digital world where she would have to put up with living in the constant shadow of her brother or being praised as the second strongest Renamon in her village; she was never one for fame.

Her brother can have all the Fame and glory, she had found a new life here in the real world with Rika and her friends and she loved it here. It truly felt like home. She even found a mate although her father would never approve of him but that didn't matter to her. She loved him and nothing her father could say would ever change that.

Although despite her relatively peaceful life for the past couple of weeks she felt like something was wrong; like something big was coming: something powerful. Renamon looked up at the stars trying to figure out why she felt this way. What could be coming that got her this flustered. She was one of the digimon that defeated the D- reaper, what could be coming that could be any worse than that?

She never came up with an answer for her thoughts were soon broken when a familiar voice called to her from just below her.

"Hey Renamon you up there?" a smile crossed her muzzle she knew exactly who it was, it was Takato.

A mischievous thought crossed her mind on how she could greet him. She vanished and reappeared right in front of the sixteen and a half year old boy.

"Boo."

Takato fell backwards in surprise at her sudden appearance "ahh I hate when you do that" he complained as Renamon helped him back to his feet. She let out a small giggle " Ha Ha, I'm sorry Takato, I just couldn't resist. Your fun to scare, so what brings you around so late?"

She knew why he was here he came to see her. Over the past few years Takato and Renamon have grown very close, and have been unofficial mates for the past two years. Of course the others suspect they like each other, but have no clue that they have actually become mates.

"I just came from Guilmon's hut, I figured I see if you were still up" he scratched the back of his head.

"Yes, I can't sleep, I was just up thinking."

A worried look crosses Takato's face. "You still feel it, huh? Like something big is about to happen?"

Renamon nodded and let out a sighed then looked up toward the sky again. "I don't know Takato, it just has me a bit flustered. I thought the true threat was gone after the deletion of the D-reaper, but I fear something big is coming, something we never seen before."

Takato put his hands on her shoulder. "Well, whatever it is, I'm positive we can handle it. We did stop the D-reaper after all," Takato said with a small smile.

"I hope your right," Renamon said as she looked back down at her mate with worried eyes.

At that moment Takato took her hand and planted a kiss on her lips saying, "I know I'm right."

Renamon felt all her frustration and anxiety melt away when Takato kissed her; she loved him and when she felt his lips meet hers she needed more. She kissed him back this time making it more passionate. She felt her primal urges start to come out [God Takato always know just how to set me off at the right time, he has surely grown a lot since we first met; he knows just how to get me going …. Well it has been a while since our last time and it would be nice to 'blow off some steam'].

After about five minutes she broke the kiss now looking back into Takatos eyes she said "We should go for walk". She knew exactly where to go, the park was empty at this time of night she would have him all to herself there.

*mini lemon start *

The two walked until they came to the park where there was a beautiful view of the full moon. Renamon and Takato sat down in the soft grass Renamon was leaning against Takato . She couldn't take it anymore she needed him now.

Takato was now well aware of the needy look that now occupied Renamon's normally calm gaze and he knew full well what it meant.

Renamon looked into Takato's eyes with a pleading look "It has been so long Takato," she said with a bit of a whine he only nodded knowing where she was going with this. Before he could say anything she had moved her hand down into his pants and began to work his tool with one of her paws as she did this she pulled him into a passionate kiss.

Now with his own excitement rising from the stimulation his was receiving from Renamon he wanted to return the favor.

Takato moved his hands inside her large white main and found her furry white mounds and he soon started to return the good feeling she was giving him. He started to twist her sensitive nipples which caused her to let out a moan that was muffled by their kiss.

After another minute of this Renamon had enough, she needed him now. She stopped her hand job and pushed Takato on his back and with lighting speed removed his pants and shirt.

She was now straddling him with her warm furry rear seated on his bare waist "Oh, Takato I need you now," Takato could only nod he needed her too. After her mates approval she raised her self above Takato's member and slowly sank down its length letting out a small cry " Oh God Takato," she began to move her hips rapidly each time slamming down on Takato's pole causing her to yell out in pleasure "Oh Takato!"

Takato was trying his hardest not to lose it felt so good, but his own primal urges began to take over and he began to move his hips to match hers.

When he started to move his hips with hers, it set her on the edge. She leaned forward onto Takato's chest, pushing his head into her chest . She felt her orgasm about to hit causing her to yell out in pleasure.

"Oh Takato, harder-Harder"! he began to move his hips faster. "OH Renamon," he let out as a he couldn't hold it anymore and exploded deep inside her belly, setting her off the edge and she let out one more passionate yowl as her orgasm hit.

When her orgasm stopped she released his head and the two rolled over on their side Takato still inside her. There the two just laid there, joined at the loins and enjoying each other's company for a little while.

*MINI LEMON END*

**ME: well there you have it chapter four so what you two think**

**Tom: the beginning was not interesting but the end was well… I enjoyed it very much _'**

**ME: Of course you did**

**Rena: I like it I wasn't expecting it be about Takato and Renamon they make such a cute couple ^^**

**ME: that they do any way I hope everyone else liked it as well,**

**And before you ask Tom yes the next chapter is about you and Rena again**

**Tom: good I wanna see what happens to us next**

**Rena: agreed**

**ME: remember to leave a comment and keep your eyes out for chapter five**


	5. Chapter 5

**ME: well here it is chapter 5 fresh back from the editor **

**Tom: ok please stop with the news paper talk its annoying **

**Rena: I have to agree with Tom on this one it is quite corny **

**ME: ok- ok I will stop well any way here is chapter five enjoy **

Chapter 5: P**issed off spiders and vivid dreams**

Back in the digital world the newly found partners had set off on their two day journey to meet with Rena's friend Annulmon in a place called Forgotten Valley. They had been making good time and Rena was explaining how Annulmon was a digi-historian and knew almost all there was about digimon history; Tom also knew a lot about human history as well.

Rena led the way; she was so used to using the trees and leaping around at high speed but with Tom here she couldn't do that. She didn't mind it much though, he was good company. The two continued on joking and laughing until the light began to dip below the horizon and visibility became poor; this is was when the two decided to make camp for the night. Rena had gathered a good amount of fire wood while Tom tried to get the fire started which with Captain Martinez's Zippo the one that he "borrowed" from him right before departing the base, just for such occasions it wasn't hard at all. Rena returned arms full of fire wood setting it down next to the small fire and took a place next to Tom who was sitting up against a tree that was about 5 feet from the fire. Tom had already taken his armor off and spread out his sleeping roll and bag, now he was going to enjoy his first hot meal in a while. The fruit and nuts that Rena and him have been eating were good, but it was no hot meal. He took out a small metal mug and filled it with water from his hydration bladder on his pack, then set it onto the fire.

"What's that for?" Rena asked with a quizzical look.

"Dinner," Tom said, taking out two light green boxes from his pack and tossing one to Rena who gave him a wired look after reading the package. "What's M.R.E?"

"It stands for Meal Ready to Eat, here, there, designed to be eaten anywhere," Tom said cheerfully, popping the plastic seal and pulling out the contents of his own dish; he then added the hot water to the main dish which was a beef stew. She did the same to hers, she had spaghetti and with tomato sauce. She took a few bites cautiously but after the second bite she let out a groan of satisfaction.

"Mmm, this is wonderful, I never had food like this before," she said, her mouth stuffed with spaghetti.

"Man, I've never seen someone so surprised by spaghetti before," Tom said as Rena began to wolf down the rest of the meal, she was starving after the days hike. When she was done, Tom started to laugh at the ring of tomato sauce that was staining her muzzle.

"What's so funny?" she asked

"Hahaha, you look like a puppy that just got their paws on a plate of spaghetti," Tom said, clutching his sides in laughter. Rena blushed through her fur and franticly tried to wipe it off. "Here, let me help you." He pulled out an old tee shirt that had been a bit tattered after constant use, but was clean enough for this and moved over to try to help Rena wipe her muzzle off. When he wiped her face off she could smell his scent on the shirt and she found herself taking it in a deep breath [that smells so nice].

"There all clean… " Rena was in a kind of trance, Toms scent was stirring something inside her she never felt before [ that smell, why does it smell so good to me? It makes me just want to…] "Hey Rena, you ok?"

Rena snapped out of her sent induced trance " …Oh, umm, yes, I'm fine just…"

But before she could come up with an excuse her ears perked up. She heard rustling and tree limbs being snapped; something was coming this way and it sounded mad, or hungry, or both. Tom must have heard it too because his face had steeled and his eyes narrowed, he was now gripping the butt of his side arm, his rifle was resting by his sleeping roll a full 20 feet away. The sound had become louder; whatever it was, it was BIG.

"POISON THREAD!" the attack erupted from the tree line striking Rena, sending her flying back into the brush.

"RENA!" Tom hopped up as a large spider emerged from the tree line, this one was bigger and nastier looking than the one he had encountered two weeks ago.

*Pop..Pop..Pop..Pop! *

He started to send rounds down range, but the bullets only bounced off the monstrous spider's thick almost armor like head.

"Ah, you little brat!" it yelled out as it tried to swat at him.

He rolled to dodge the attack and drew his blades. Tom swung, and managed to cut a gash in the spider's abdomen just as one of its eight arms sent him flying back. But before it could attack again, Rena burst from the tree line.

"DIAMOND STORM!" the attack made the huge spider reel back as it was hit by the razor shards, but it quickly rebounded and caught Rena off guard with a web attack. It trapped the digital vixen in a web net, trapping her.

Rena underestimated this one, it was a champion level. The spider loomed over her and opened its huge jaws. "Now for my main course," it hissed evilly.

Rena closed her eyes waiting for the pain, but she snapped open her eyes when a loud bang erupted from behind her. Rena saw the dokugumon reel back as Tom was able to put chips in its head plate with his rifle. He knelt down next to her.

"You ok?" he asked. She nodded. "Hold still, I'm going to get you out of that." He produced a large combat knife and cut the spiders thread. "I'm beginning to really hate spiders; lets end this bitch."

"You can say that again," Rena muttered.

"Any ideas?"

Rena saw the how Tom's attack had chipped the dokugumon's head plate and this gave her an idea. "Can you hit that same spot again when I say?"

"That should be easy, what do you have in mind?"

"I'm going to crack that things head like a large digi nut."

On Rena's go, Tom sent another round down range. Just as he shot, Rena teleported right in front of the now pissed spider and yelled "Power paw!" Her hand was engulfed in an eerie blue flame and she buried her claws deep into where the bullet impacted, cracking the dokugumons head like a giant walnut. The dokugumon collapsed to the ground, it's head was caved in and blood poured from the wound, then a few seconds later it split into a cloud of partials that Rena seemed to absorb when she was done.

Tom's Digivice beeped then announced "Data download complete." He ignored this and ran up to her "You ok?" he asked worriedly, dropping down to the the ground. "Yes, I actually feel great, thank you for saving me back there," Rena said.

"He-he, don't mention it. Ha-ha now we're even," he said with a chuckle

"Ha-ha, I guess we are."

"We make one hell of a team."

Rena nodded. "Yeah, I guess we do," she said with a smile.

Tom slumped down against a tree as his adrenaline rush from the sudden attack faded. He was exhausted from a combination of the battle and the long day of hiking; even for a Spartan candidate it was very taxing, but despite the on setting exhaustion he was stuck in a combat mind frame he was constantly scanning the area out of reflex and his hand still gripping his rifle tightly. Rena noticed this. "You can relax now, I don't think anything else will try to attack us," she said while spreading out her large blanket next to Tom's sleeping roll; the same on that she wrapped Tom in his first night in the digital world.

"How are you so sure?" Tom asked in a skeptical tone

"Because not many digimon in these woods that can defeat a dokugumon and we did, so any other digimon that might try to attack us would think twice now and any digimon stupid enough to try we could take no problem. Come on, we need to get some rest, we have a long trip to Forgotten Valley tomorrow."

Rena came over to him and helped him to his feet, then from there he climbed into his sleeping bag and zipped it up tight. When he laid back, sleep crept up on him fast. He was truly exhausted, not just physically, but mentally as well. A lot has happened to the boy in such a short time, stuff like that could wear anyone out, even a Spartan. Rena was spreading herself out on her large blanket. After wrapping herself up in it, she turned to see Tom already asleep.

"Good night Tom," she spoke softly not expecting him to respond, but Tom mumbled in his sleep

"*yawn* good night Devin".

Rena was a bit surprised at his sleepy response [I must remind him of her in some way]; this made her smile to herself. With that, she herself soon drifted off to sleep.

XXXXXX ghosts haunt me no more

Tom was having the same nightmare, reliving the night Devin died again and just like before when she said her final good bye the cold winter forest turned into a black abyss where he sat cold and alone . He squeezed his eyes shut wishing not to be alone anymore, for the pain to stop. He wanted death to just take him. He began to cry, tears streaked down his face.

"My mom, Devin, they all left me and it's all my fault now I'm all alone." But then something changed from the normal nightmare; he felt a pair of arms wrap around him and pull him in to a warm embrace he opened his eyes and the blackness was replaced by a wooded cliff edge that opened up on to a beautiful valley and he saw that it was Rena who was hugging him tight to her chest, fur matted from crying.

"It wasn't your fault they died, and you're not alone any more. I'm here Tom, I'll always be here for you, you're my only true friend and I will never abandon you," she said tearfully. Soon Tom felt himself returning the embrace. He felt warm again, his sadness beginning to melt away.

"I'm so glad I have you Tom, I will never let anyone hurt you ever again, I swear it." Her words echoed in his mind, putting him at ease and now he had something to fight for again; and he would fight and die to keep her safe.

**ME: what you two thin…*gets hit in the head by a random book* **

**Tom: you lied to me…. You said no more giant spiders… I don't like spiders!**

**Rena : oh my you hit him pretty hard *tries to help him up* was hitting him with that book really necessary **

**Tom: I really don't like spiders.**

**Me: ouch * rubs head* thanks for the help Rena**

**Rena: any time ^^ **

**Me: before Tom decides to hit me with another book I'm going to end this…. Ouch my head hurts too much Rena can you do the honors**

**Rena: gladly ^^ hope you enjoyed chapter 5 keep your eyes out for chapter 6 and don't forget to leave a comment **


	6. Chapter 6

ME: well here it is chapter 6 a special thank you to orthodox and Dr1ft3r0I for helping me with editing and advice, forgive the shortness I have been a bit busy lately

TOM: you mean lazy? Cuz I could have sworn I saw you playing call of duty for like 4 hours the other day

Dr1ft3r0I: procrastinating on your own story are we Grim

ME: hey back off you two oh and I almost forgot this is Dr1ft3r0I one of my beta readers Dr1ft3r0I and orthodox have both been helping me edit my story chapters and Dr1ft3r0I will be popping in every so often

Rena: nice to meet you have been doing a great job with the editing….

Tom: ya the first two chapters were he went solo were a mess

Me: hey they weren't that bad right Dr1ft3r0I

Dr1ft3r0I: oh ya they were a shining example of grammar and spelling especially how you used wrong words like shore instead of sure

ME: well orthodox fixed the first two chapters now so HA –HA

TOM: _ your grammar still sucks

ME: grrrr…. Any way enjoy the chapter

**Chapter 6 ** Dead Valley's and Confusing Feelings

The next morning, Rena and Tom broke camp and started the daylong trek to the entrance of the Forgotten Valley. They hiked for most of the morning. There was little conversation between the two voyagers during the long haul.

Around midday, the duo had stopped near a small clearing to rest. Tom set his gear down, sighing in relief. He removed his helmet and the upper part of his armor. After shedding the extra weight, he slumped down against a nearby tree, resting his head against the trunk.

Rena had already taken her own spot up against a large rock sitting next to Tom. She watched as her friend took off the odd armor that he used to protect himself, revealing his pale, furless features. She truly never had seen a being like him before. Light, smooth skin covered his whole body, except for the patch of thick, brown fur that covered his head. Despite looking so unusual, she couldn't help but think about how handsome he was.

She was puzzled as to why he looked so attractive to her. She never felt attracted to any of the males in her village. Some were cute, yes, Handsome even. But she never thought of them as more than that. Why would she feel this way about Tom?

Then she remembered the way she reacted to his scent the night before. How it made her feel so strange, like she wanted him to hold her and never let go. Then a thought crept into her troubled mind. [Could I be falling for him?]She wondered. She quickly shook these thoughts from her mind. She was over thinking. She just got caught off guard by his scent. She hadn't been around a male in a long time, and his scent set off her primal urges. That was all…

After about 30 minutes of rest, the duo continued on, and after another 3 hours of hiking, they had finally reached the entrance to the valley. They stood on a hill looking over the whole valley. When Tom saw the sight that stood before him, he was in awe.

The lush green wood's was replaced by a white, snow-coved forest, and the dogwood, birch, and oak trees, were replaced by conifers and other evergreens. The sky went from clear blue to a dark gray that seemed to cast darkness over the whole valley. Towards the middle of it all stood a large castle like building, with tall towers that were capped with snow and ice. Tom was at a loss for words. He never seen such a sudden change in weather like this in his life.

Rena came up next to him, looking out toward the castle. "Welcome to the Forgotten Valley... come on, we should get going." She walked ahead and motioned to her still stunned friend to follow, her tail gracefully swaying behind her with every step.

The sun was hidden behind thick clouds that cast a shadow over the whole valley. Not a sound could be heard, other than the crunching of the snow beneath Tom's boots and Rena's feet. It was making Tom feel uneasy. He gripped his rifle tight against his shoulder, and was trying to watch for the slightest bit of movement, or hear a quiet sound. But there was no sound to be heard at all. Not even the wind blew. Everything was so still, so quiet. The forest was completely devoid of life. It made Tom think of an old parable he heard when he was younger.

_Today I enter the valley of the shadow of death…_

If there were ever a true valley of the shadow of death, it probably wouldn't look much different than this.

Tom then looked over to Rena, who was leading the way, seemingly unaffected by the unsettling quiet. He remembered the rest of the parable.

_I will not be afraid of the evils that lie within, for you are close beside me._

With that last thought, he moved up next to his partner, feeling confident knowing she was with him.

When he moved up next to her, she looked over to him and gave him a reassuring smile, which lifted his spirits even more.

Tom truly felt close to his new partner, and he could feel a connection with her. But he was oblivious to just how close he was becoming to her…

**To be continued…**

ME: well what did you all think

Rena: it was short and sweet

Dr1ft3r0I: *snicker*

Tom: What are you laughing at

Dr1ft3r0I:*burst out laughing *ha-ha-ha –ha I…I can't believe you were afraid of a little quiet

Tom: hey I was attacked by a giant spider twice! I wasn't scared I was being cautious

Dr1ft3r0I: oh sure you were ha-ha-ha-ha if you squeezed your rifle any tighter you might have broken it and not to mention you were trying to look in every direction at once . What's the matter scared of insect

Tom: *lunges for him *ill show you scared come here ill …..ack* Rena grabs him by collar*

Rena: oh no you don't , down boy

Me: *sweat drops* well stay tuned there is more to come

Dr1ft3r0I: and don't forget to leave a review or comment

Rena: they all help positive or negative


	7. Chapter 7

ME: well its been a wile but here it is i bring you chapter 7 of my humble Fic

TOM: oh good for a wile I thought you forgotten all about it

Rena: YAY NEW CHAPTER FINALY

ME : Life has been hectic at the university what can i say any way with out further ado i bring you chapter 7 of AGAINST ALL ODDS enjoy

Chapter Seven: The End of a Journey, the Beginning of an Adventure

_Digital World_

After trekking through the forest for over three hours, Tom and Rena soon saw the tops of a fairly large castle. Now either Tom was going crazy, or he was certain that something was watching them. He saw something move in the tree-line and in an instant, snapped his rifle up and aimed, ready to blow some Digimon or whatever to bits. Soon, a small shape came out of the trees, and it looked very familiar to Tom for once. This Digimon was hawk shaped, if only slightly larger than a hawk, and was having some difficulty pulling a sled stocked with wood. "Don't move another step. Now who, and what are you?" Tom asked coldly, rifle aimed straight at the hawk's head. The startled bird squawked, dropping the lead for the sled as it looked at Tom fearfully.

"Tom wait, it's okay, I know this Digimon!" Rena cried out, grabbing onto Tom. The sniper grudgingly lowered his rifle, watching as Rena went over to the hawk. "Hawkmon, it's nice to see you again!"

The bird's beak-if it were even possible-dropped to the ground in pleasant surprise. "My heavens Luna, is that truly you? Why last time I saw you, you were this tall!" Hawkmon flapped his wings and fly over to Rena's head, hovering a foot and a half above it. "Now you're that tall! What gives, you're shrinking? And by the way, who is your jumpy friend?" he asked. Taking a quick glide over to Tom, Hawkmon almost fell out of the sky in amazement. "CAN IT BE …A HUMAN?! Wow Luna, this is truly amazing !"

The little Digimon buzzed around tom eyeing up the human , hakmon has herd a grate deal of Humans from Annulmon but this one seems different in a way it was covered in metal plates and that staff he pointed at him was new too most curtly an attack of some kind . the little digimon landed in front of him looking up at him

"Yes Hawkmon," Rena said, "This is Tom. He's the reason that we're here right now to see Annulmon."

Hawkmon smiled as he looked Tom in the eye…or at least, he tried to he couldn't see his face through his helmet . "Pleasure to meet you Tom. Sorry about the scare, but I had a rather unpleasant encounter with a Yetimon, and I just happen to be the right size for a snack."

Tom shrugged. "No worries. I've been having some bad luck recently, so I can completely understand," Tom said, slinging back his rifle. "Can I help you with the wood?"

Hawkmon nodded, and was promptly stunned as Tom took the hundred pound pile of wood and started jogging towards the castle with it. Mindful of the cold ("Let's get inside, I'm freezing my tail-feathers off!"), Hawkmon led the pair into the castle. On the way, Tom turned to Rena. "Hey Rena, why did Hawkmon call you 'Luna?'" he asked. Rena's ears drooped down and her cheeks went red under her fur.

"Well, it was given to me because I was born during an eclipse," Rena explained. "It wasn't really a name I liked, seeing as it only made everyone treat me like I was some fragile flower. And it was one of the reasons why I left my village. Why, did you have any nicknames?" Rena asked. Tom sighed. He did have a lot of nicknames from the other Spartan-Vs. Runt, Brute-bait, mama's boy; those at least were the polite ones. The others….well, Tom would rather not think about that. Tom nodded to Rena.

"Yeah, one. My friend Devin used to call me Grim," he said, just as they reached the castle. It was rather small as castles went, but for Tom and Rena, the keep was huge. Equally impressive was the main entrance, lined with tapestries and paintings, chronicling the history of the Digital world. Among the tapestries, Tom saw something that looked like an old Virgin Mary picture…but it was red, and inside it was a small little girl.

"The Enemy," whispered Rena as she saw what Tom was looking at. "It was only due to the actions of the Digidestined that our worlds still exist today."

Tom looked at her in surprise. Something had almost destroyed the digital world? When did that happen?

"Nearly a thousand years ago my boy," came the response for Tom's unasked question. Tom turned around as saw what was now the strangest looking Digimon he had ever seen and that was saying something . It, he, Tom didn't know exactly, but this Digimon looked like an old hourglass, and had a clock for a head, its robe going down the floor.

"Annulmon!" Rena cried out, jumping up and hugging the moving timepiece. Annulmon smiled-as much as a clock could smile at any rate-and hugged her back.

"I would ask what would bring you here to my lonely keep, but," Annulmon said, looking over at Tom. "I have a feeling I already know." Looking Tom over, he added, "Although, he does look strange for a human. Most of the ones who've come before were much… smaller, and not carrying weapons."

Rena shrugged. "Yes, this is Tom, my Tamer," she said bashfully. Annulmon looked at Rena with concern.

"Does your father know?" he asked. Rena scowled.

"Like I'd ever go to him for anything," she spat out. "I don't want anything to do with him Annulmon, him or that creep Gravismon."

Annulmon nodded. "I see," he told her. Turning back to Tom, the clock creature asked, "So, young one, where are you from?"

Tom scratched the back of his head. "I'm from a planet called Orion, and well, I found this weird pedestal a few weeks ago. I touched it, and I got sent here. Rena could me that you might have some idea as to how and why ?"

As Tom was speaking, Annulmon's face went from calm, to surprised, to shocked. "You're not from Earth?!" the Digimon asked. Tom shook his head. Annulmon's thoughts went haywire. If Rena was born on the night of an eclipse, and she had a Tamer…then the legend….

"Do you have some sort of pendant?" Annulmon asked in a hurry. Tom looked at Annulmon dumbfounded for a second, and then rummaged through his pouches quickly, taking out the pendant that had inadvertently brought him here to the Digital World. Taking it out, Tom showed it to the anthromorphic clock man. Looking it over, Annulmon saw that it was indeed the pendant from the legend, it had to be . Rushing over to a nearby bookshelf, Annulmon brought down a thick, leather-bound book and opened it. "Luna," he asked, "Do you remember the legend of the Light Maiden?"

Rena nodded wearily, knowing it was the reason for her…birthright. "Yes, I do," she answered. She looked up and sighed, remembering the tale. "The Maiden of Light, after defeating the Dark Evil, breathed life into the Digital World and bestowed her grace upon the Renamon, tasking them as guardians of the Crest of Light. The legend then says that one day, a kit will be born during a lunar eclipse and would have to defeat the Darkness once more. Anulmon, it's just a stupid legend, what does it have to do with my Tamer?" she asked the far older Digimon.

Annulmon flipped the book open to the page he was looking for. On it was an old, faded ink-print of what looked like the back of Tom's pendant, which featured a modified version of the yin-yang along with the strange symbol on the front . "That is only part of the legend," Annulmon told the both of them. "What many do not know, or even acknowledge, is that along with the Hero of Light, there was a Hero of Shadows who fought and sealed away the six Dark Kings in the Void. It was then said that a traveler from lands far away would come and bear this very crest…." Annulmon paused and looked at Tom, realization dawning upon him. "Oh my…y-you…you must get to the Real World! It is not safe for you here!" Faster than either Tom or Rena could have given him credit for, Annulmon rushed over to them and proceeded to physically push them down the hall. "You must get to Entrance City! You will find the portal to the Real World there! There is where you'll find help! Already we are running out of time!"

Tom was confused. "Wait, what do you mean 'running out of time?' Hell, why are you calling me a distant traveler?" Rena was likewise confused.

"I agree with my Tamer on this one Annulmon," she said. "What's gotten into you? Why can't we stay, and how can there be a Hero of Shadows? The Darkness is what we Renamon are opposed to to begin with!"

Just then, Annulmon brought them before a painting of a desert. "I'm sorry, but there is no time! If they find you here, it could mean the end of everything! Follow the red beam! That will take you to the portal!" he told them hurriedly. He pushed them into the painting, just as Tom was about to have the last word. As it turned out, the painting wasn't exactly solid, so as the two of them fell through the painting, they were enveloped in a bright light and experienced a very cold chill.

Next thing Tom knew, he was falling and then landed with a thud onto something soft…and very damn hot. It took Tom a second to realize that it was sand. Flipping onto his back, Tom saw endless blue sky, and there in the corner of his vision….

Tom bolted upright, shocked. "Earth?! But how, wha-?" And indeed, there it was, the birthplace of Humanity hanging in the sky where the Sun should have been.

Rena had gotten up already and was dusting herself off. "Hmff! What was wrong with Annulmon? I've known him for years, and this is the first time he's ever acted like this! He's lost his mind!" she said to Tom loudly. She then saw Tom still looking at Earth in shock. Rena remembered that Tom wasn't quite used to the Digital World and how it worked. Sitting next to Tom, she explained, "Tom, this is the first level of the Digital World. It's the closest to Earth, and I've only heard stories of this place."

The two of them got up from the sand and saw the red beam that Annulmon was talking about off in the distance, stretching up to connect the Digital World and Earth like an orbital elevator. Tom picked up his pack and rifle and looked at Rena. "Well, maybe it wouldn't hurt to follow his advice," he said to her shrugging. "He said there was a city there after all. Beats being out here in the heat."

Rena nodded, her eyes still on the red beam of light that lead up to the blue and green ball in the sky. "Good idea Tom, I feel like I'm being roasted by my own fur." Without another word, the two of them set off towards the light, hoping to find the city. Although some shade would be good too.

:\_/:

The invisible sun was beating down on the duo with hellish fury as they walked. Tom's ODST armor was designed to vent heat as the occupant dropped down to the ground from orbit in an egg-shaped coffin and his shield was designed to reflect a brodde spectrum of radiation including infared and UV . Nevertheless, Tom was sweating like a pig under his armor. He and Rena soon spotted a rocky outcrop jutting from the sand. There wasn't much shade, but it would do for now.

Rena gave a relieved sigh as they walked into the shade. "By the Sovereigns, I've never felt so drained," she said as she plopped down on the wall of rocks.

Tom nodded as he plopped down next to her. "Yeah, I know. The heat wears you out fast," he said. A click later, Tom's helmet was off, showing his sweat covered face, his hair stuck to his skull. Wiping off his forehead, Tom took his rifle and started cleaning the breech, removing the sand and dirt that had gotten into it during the trip.

When Tom removed his helmet, Rena was assaulted by his scent that the armor was concealing . It was just as intoxicating as ever, as Rena went into another trace like she did a few nights agobut this time it seemed stronger . She felt her heart begin to beat faster, and her excitement grew as she fixed her gaze upon Tom, her feelings soon spiraling out of control….

Rena shook her head, clearing her mind. _Rena, stop it!_ She thought to herself. _This isn't right! Is it? No..no, it's not! He's a human, and you're a Digimon! There's just no way that you and he can be together no matter what his pheromones are telling you! But…why is it wrong? Just because Father said so? Since when have I cared about what he said? I mean, it's very possible that he's wrong about humans…_ Rena sighed and leaned back into the wall. _Get a hold of yourself Rena. He's only a friend, and you're a Renamon. We're just too different. But then, why does it feel right to…to love him?_

Tom looked over at Rena as she sighed. "What's up?" he asked her.

Rena snapped back into reality and looked into Tom's blue eyes. "N-nothing!" she said. "I'm sorry," she added, "It's just that, we've been walking for hours with no sign of the city or the beam."

Tom looked at said beam of red light. "Don't worry," he told her. "We'll make it there, we just gotta press on a bit more. Trust me, it'll get easier once the sun goes down." Tom set his rifle down and took the camelpak from his rucksack. "Here, drink some, it'll help," Tom told her.

Rena took the water pouch, took out the straw, and bit down on the valve. Instantly, sweet, cool water was going down her throat. Rena smiled as she took a few gulps of water. Satisfied, she put the straw back and handed it back to Tom. "Thank you," she said to him. "That helped out quite a bit."

Tom smiled. "See, what did I tell you?" he told her as he took a drink himself. After he was done, Tom put away the water pouch, but as he did so, something caught his eye. "Hey, what's that?"

Rena turned her head to see what Tom was talking about, and saw some smokestacks in the distance. "Could it be the city?" she asked him.

Tom took his rifle and looked down the scope. "No, I don't think so," he said, seeing a bunch of small huts randomly arranged around a central firepit. "It's too far away from the beam, and from the size of the place, I'd say that it's just a village of some kind. Worth a look, I mean, the locals might give us some food and water if we asked."

Rena nodded as Tom lowered his rifle. "You're right," she told him. "Let's go check it out. It's better than staying here and dying of heatstroke." Tom nodded as he put his helmet back on. Peering around the corner cautiously, Tom signaled for Rena to follow him to the village.

[][][]

As they reached the outskirts of the village, Tom and Rena noticed a few things. One, the smoke they saw earlier did not come from the smokestacks of the huts. It was the huts as they burned to the ground. Second, the place looked totaled, with furniture broken in the streets, walls torn down, and personal possessions scattered everywhere. Lastly, there seemed to be no one here . And that put Tom on edge As he and Rena walked into the village. This village was attacked, and recently too. Which meant that whoever had done this had either just left, or was still here.

Rena stopped and looked around at the wanton destruction. "W-what happened here? This village is just…"

Tom sighed as he walked over to her, scanning the area for threats. "Rena, these people were attacked recently," he told her.

Rena looked into his polarized visor in worry. "Tom, this village was wiped out! Who'd wipe out a village?" Just as these words left her mouth, however, the two of them heard a painful groan. Nodding to each other, they rushed off to find the owner of that groan. Rena beat Tom to the source by only a few seconds to find that the owner of the groan was a Flamedramon lying on the ground, clutching his side as he tried to keep his body together. When Tom saw him, the Spartan saw a six foot two, blue skinned dinosaur with egg-shaped gauntlets and foot covers, and a matching faceplate with a footlong blade sticking up from it.

Rena crouched down, trying to see if she could help out the Champion level Digimon in front of her. Because whatever could attack a Flamedramon and win was certainly something that no even she could handle. Kudugamon and the other insect-like pests of the forest were one thing, but this? This was something different. "What happened here?" she asked. "Who did this to you?"

The Flamedramon looked up at her and lowered his arms, showing her and Tom his wounds. It was disgusting, even to Tom who had seen some pretty messed up shit from his time working for ONI. The wounds weren't infected; no, very flesh was falling off of the Flamedramon in messy green chunks that simply reeked of death. "We…we couldn't stop them," the giant said weakly. "They attacked us. W-we refu…refused to bow to them." The Flamedramon gulped for air. "There were so many of them, and their claws and blades…." The Digimon suddenly coughed up blood, the normally crimson liquid tainted with copious amounts of green. "They carried illness! The end of the Digital World…the end is at hand…they…they came in the name of…of…." The Flamedramon slumped to the ground, his body crumbling into course, corrupted bits of data.

Rena looked as if she was about to puke as Tom turned away from the sight. As he did so, Tom thought he saw something move about in the shadows. _To quote that stupid film that Captain Martinez watches all the time, I have a bad feeling about this_, Tom thought as he flicked the safety off his rifle. "Rena, I think we-" Before Tom could finish, something slammed through the wall next to him and sent him flying. Tom all but demolished several buildings in his way as he came to a stop near the other end of the village.

"TOM!" Rena shouted. She leapt to her feet and was about to go after Tom when…something got in her way. It stood almost as tall as a tree, and twice as thick, with green, scarred skin that simply absorbed the sunlight. It was clad only in a furred loincloth and a pair of leather straps crossing the chest, and Rena slowly backed away at the sight of the club in its right hand. She could tell just by looking at this thing that she was outclassed, and that she needed help. Unfortunately for her, help was at the other end of the village, and another one of those things came out of a nearby alley, club raised and ready to pummel her to the ground.

Just as the newcomer swung its club, Rena jumped out of the way. In doing so, the second monster hit his comrade, the first one got angry, and the two of them started grappling with each other. They fell into a hut and Rena slowly walked off. _Strong, but rather stupid_, she thought to herself as she dashed off to find Tom. She soon found the place where Tom had come to a stop, and her heart sank. He was buried under a small pile of rubble, and as she started removing the debris, the vixen noted with increasing trepidation that Tom wasn't moving. "Nononono, come on Tom, please, I can't lose you!" she whispered to him as she went to take off his helmet to check his status.

Just then, Tom decided to join the world of the living by groaning. "Rena, you're not getting rid of me that easily," he said. Damn, he felt like God had just punched him in the gut. But other than that, he felt fine.

Rena hugged him in relief. "Thank the spirits you're alive! Are you okay?"

Tom looked into her eyes from behind his visor. "Yeah, just a few bruises, nothing serious," he answered. As he sat up, Rena simply hugged him.

"Well, don't scare me like that."

Now, Rena couldn't see it, but Tom's face was red. Not just plain old red, but red enough to rival a stop sign. It was something about her eyes, those deep, gleaming emeralds that just made his heart melt, his mind race, and make all his troubles go away. Tom was luckily snapped out of his thoughts by Rena. "Come on Tom, we should leave. Even with those things fighting each other, I don't think they'll occupy each other for long, and I don't think I can fight them," Rena said to her Tamer, helping him to his feet.

Tom nodded. "Got it," he said. They left the village and after about an hour and a half, found a cave in a nearby mesa. For one thing, it was still too damn hot outside, and second, they needed a break anyway. Tom entered the cave first, checking that it was clear. Pleased that it was, the Spartan took his pack off, and dropped it next to the nearest wall. Said pack was soon accompanied by its owner plopping down to the ground, with Tom taking off his helmet. Looking to Rena sitting at the other wall, Tom asked, "Rena, what was that guy talking about? What end of the Digital World, what are the Dark Ones, and what the hell just attacked us?"

Rena looked out the entrance of the cave. She was thinking the same thing as Tom, but she at least could answer some of the questions. "My mother used to tell me stories of the Dark Ones," she began. "They were these corrupted Digimon and terrible monsters that tried to enslave our world and all worlds as the legends states but before they succeeded the Maiden of Light stopped them. They were led by an evil general who commanded grate armies , himself a follower of six terrible kings." She laughed humorlessly. "I always thought it was just a story to frighten kits into behaving. But as for what attacked us, I don't know what they were, but they were Digimon."

Tom, for his part, couldn't believe what he was hearing. "So," he said incredulously, "Annulmon thinks that _I'm_ connected to all this?"

Rena sighed. "I don't know Tom, I just don't know."

Tom moved over to sit next to her. "Hey, it's all right," he told her gently. "But legends or not, we need to get out the desert."

Rena looked over her shoulder at Tom. "But if what Annulmon says is true, then we need to leave the Digital World altogether! But, if it isn't, then what? I mean, even if we do get to Entrance City and go through the portal, what do we do then?" she asked. Tom put a hand on her shoulder.

"Listen, we can't plan for everything. What we need to do is stay focused on the here and now we will cross that bridge when we get there ," he said to her comfortingly. "We'll worry about the beam when we get there, okay?"

Rena nodded, her emotions cooling off. Tom really was special, if the fact that his touch alone could calm her nerves. "You're right," she replied quietly as Tom took his hand off her shoulder. "But we should wait until nightfall to leave for the city."

Tom smiled weakly in agreement. "Sounds like a plan. I'm gonna try and grab some shut eye, I want to stay sharp," he said to her, moving over to his pack.

Rena smiled back. "Don't worry Tommie, I'll watch over you," she told him. She so focused on the fact that Tom made her insides warm up, that she hadn't realized that she had called him 'Tommie.'

Tom didn't want to admit it as his head hit his pack, but the heat had completely drained him. Add on the fact that he hadn't gotten a good night's sleep in a few days didn't do much to help him out either. Ever since they had entered that forest, Tom had been on edge. Normally, he would just charge through this and complete the mission objective, especially when in the midst of an unknown number of equally unknown enemies and the end in sight. But, with Rena there at the entrance, Tom felt oddly…at peace, if that was possible for the Spartan. Besides, he was too tired to really notice that Rena had called him 'Tommie.' Because as soon as his head hit the impromptu pillow, he was out like a light.

Rena watched Tom fall asleep before she leaned back against the cave wall and sighed. _I'm getting too worked up about this_, she thought. _All those stories are just that, stories. Things you tell kits to make them behave and listen to their parents. On another note, Tom…there's just something about him that makes me like as more than just a Tamer. Is it just because he's a male, or am I-_ Her thoughts were interrupted by the growl of her stomach. Looking down at that part of her body, she scowled. "First thing we need to do when we get out of this desert is get some food." The vixen then looked up into the sky, staring at Earth. "Maybe explore Earth. I'd love to see if those stories about it are true…."

TOM : AWW WHAT THE HELL I HATE CLIFF HANGERS

ME: well that sucks now don't it

TOM: grumbal

REAN: OH i can't wait to see earth so exciting i can't wait

ME: in due time Ren in due time we have miles to go before we sleep

TOM: what do you mean we i don't see your lazy ass out huffing it in the hot sun

ME: its a metaphor

TOM: i don't care what it is there better be some water at this city

ME : he he no promises there hehe any way i hop you all liked the chapter tell me what you think in the comments well Till next time

I bid you all a good day


End file.
